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☆ Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Russian forces said to make progress in Bakhmut
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Protesters gather in support of Ukraine during a meeting of European Union (EU) Foreign Ministers in Brussels, Belgium January 23, 2023. ARMAMENTS* The United States and Germany are poised to boost Ukraine's war effort with the delivery of heavy tanks, sources said, support that Russia condemned as a "blatant provocation". * The United States is poised to start a process that would eventually send dozens of M1 Abrams battle tanks to Ukraine, two U.S. officials told Reuters. * Norway is considering whether to send some of its German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, Oslo-based newspapers Aftenposten and Dagens Naeringsliv reported. * A delivery of tanks by the United States to Ukraine would be a "another blatant provocation" against Russia, Anatoly Antonov, Russia's ambassador, said.

REUTERS/Lisi Niesner/File PhotoWASHINGTON/BRUSSELS, Jan 23 (Reuters) - The West on Monday stepped up pressure on Iran over its crackdown on protests as the United States, European Union and United Kingdom imposed fresh sanctions on Tehran. 'BRUTAL REPRESSION'The European Union imposed sanctions on more than 30 Iranian officials and organizations, including units of the Revolutionary Guards, blaming them for a "brutal" crackdown on protesters and other human rights abuses. Those sanctions targeted units and senior officials of the IRGC across Iran, including in Sunni-populated areas where the state crackdown has been intense, a list published in the EU's Official Journal showed. Britain also imposed sanctions on more Iranian individuals and entities on Monday over the country's "brutal repression" of its people. Britain has now imposed 50 new sanctions against Iran since Amini's death, the foreign office said.

☆ EU ministers agree on new package of sanctions against Iran
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BRUSSELS, Jan 23 (Reuters) - EU ministers on Monday agreed on a new package of sanctions against Iran, the Swedish EU presidency said. "Ministers adopted a new package of sanctions against Iran, targeting those driving the repression. The EU strongly condemns the brutal and disproportionate use of force by the Iranian authorities against peaceful protesters," the presidency said in a tweet, without giving further detail. Sources told Reuters last week that EU foreign ministers would add 37 individual entries to the EU's sanctions against Iran at their meeting on Monday. Reporting by Bart Meijer; editing by Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ EU foreign policy chief hopes bloc agrees next tranche of military aid to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, Jan 23 (Reuters) - The European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said he hopes member states will approve another 500 million euro ($545.00 million) tranche in military aid for Ukraine during a foreign ministers' meeting on Monday. The ministers will also discuss using Russian assets frozen in Europe under sanctions - including 300 billion euros ($327 bln) worth of the Russian central bank reserves - and using the money to help rebuild Ukraine from the war. The foreign ministers are due to add more individuals to its Iran sanctions list over human rights abuses. Borrell said, however, that the bloc could not list Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist entity until an EU court has determined that they are. ($1 = 0.9174 euros)Writting by Tassilo Hummel, Gbariela Baczynska, Ingrid Melander, Bart Meijer, Philip BlenkinsopOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ EU says it cannot brand Iran's Guards as terror group before court ruling
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, Jan 23 (Reuters) - The European Union cannot list Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist entity until an EU court has determined that they are, the European Union's foreign policy chief said on Monday. The European Parliament has called on the EU to list the Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist entity, blaming it for the repression of domestic protests and the supply of drones to Russia. "It is something that cannot be decided without a court, a court decision first. He said the court of an EU member had to issue a concrete legal condemnation before the EU itself could act. The Iranian regime, the Revolutionary Guards terrorise their own population day after day," Baerbock said.

☆ Italy's foreign minister eyes migration, energy on trip to Cairo
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Aidan Lewis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani attends a European Union foreign ministers' meeting with their counterparts from 'Eastern Partnership' countries in Brussels, Belgium December 12, 2022. REUTERS/Johanna GeronCAIRO, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Italy's Foreign Minister said on Sunday his country saw Egypt as an important partner in stemming irregular migration across the Mediterranean and in bolstering its energy security. As part of efforts to tackle irregular migration, Italy was "ready to have more legal migrants, including those coming from Egypt", Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said during a trip to Cairo. "The solution to the Libyan problem is also part of the solution of the illegal immigration problem," said Tajani. Italy aspires to be a big European energy hub and on this point there can be convergence with Egypt," he said.

☆ Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania urge Germany to send tanks to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 22 (Reuters) - The Baltic states of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania made a joint call to Germany on Saturday to step up its leadership and send its main battle tanks to Ukraine, putting further pressure on Berlin to move faster on aiding Kyiv in its war against Russia. "We, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania Foreign Ministers, call on Germany to provide Leopard tanks to Ukraine now," Estonia's Foreign Minister said on Twitter. "This is needed to stop Russian aggression, help Ukraine and restore peace in Europe quickly. The statement came a day after Germany and Western allies reached no decision on whether Berlin would agree to send its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine or permit other countries that have them to do so. Germany's new Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Saturday he plans to visit Ukraine "quickly," adding that Berlin is in "close dialogue" on the issue of tanks with the United States and other international partners.

☆ Turkey's foreign minister to discuss F-16s and NATO during U.S. visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Humeyra Pamuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

For its part, Turkey demands Washington not support the Syrian Kurdish militia that it sees as terrorists. Turkey now hopes to buy F-16 jets from the United States, a sale that some top members of Congress oppose despite support from the Biden administration. But recently, Ankara's refusal to ratify NATO membership of Sweden and Finland is emerging as a more central reason in their opposition. The two Nordic states applied for NATO membership last year following Russia's invasion of Ukraine but their bids need approval from all 30 NATO member states. He added he hoped the F-16 deal would not become "hostage" to the NATO memberships of Sweden and Finland.

☆ Davos 2023: The World Economic Forum explained
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Siddharth K | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 16 (Reuters) - The World Economic Forum (WEF) returns to its snowy winter residency in the Swiss Alps this week with a record attendance of business and government leaders. The WEF's roots stretch back to 1971 when its founder Klaus Schwab invited executives from European companies to the then tiny ski resort of Davos, high in the Swiss Alps. With climate change top of the agenda, chiefs of major energy companies are back after a COVID-related hiatus. Others include IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde, NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He. Climate change topped the WEF's survey of global risk and energy company executives will mix with climate activists and environment ministers at the forum.

☆ Turkish foreign minister says he could meet Syrian counterpart in early February
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ISTANBUL, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday that he could meet his Syrian counterpart Faisal Mekdad early in February, rejecting reports that the two could meet next week. The Turkish and Syrian defence ministers held landmark talks in Moscow last month to discuss border security and other issues. Last week, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he may meet Assad after a trilateral foreign ministers meeting. With backing from Russia and Iran, Assad's government has recovered most Syrian territory. It has partnered with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which includes the YPG militia, in fighting Islamic State in Syria.

Kishida, who will host a summit of the Group of Seven (G7) industrial powers in May, will meet leaders of the United States, Britain, France, Italy and Canada this week. "As leader of the G7 chair this year, I'll be making this visit to reaffirm our thinking on a number of issues," Kishida told a Sunday news programme. "With the United States, we'll discuss deepening our bilateral alliance and how to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific." On semiconductors, Japan and the United States are deepening cooperation on advanced chip development amid growing trade tension with China. "Holding a successful G7 summit would bring him maximum political points - and this trip is preparation for that," said Airo Hino, a political science professor at Waseda University.

☆ Explainer: How strained China-Australia relations hit trade in coal, barley, beef and wine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Jan 6 (Reuters) - China is resuming coal trade with Australia after a three-year halt following strained relations between the two countries over wider issues. Aside from coal, exports of barley, beef, cotton, wine, lobsters and grapes were all hit with restrictions of varying degrees during 2020. China issued verbal instructions to buyers to avoid Australian goods such as coal and cotton, and imposed anti-dumping tariffs on barley and wine. The barley trade with the world's biggest beer maker had previously amounted to between A$1.5 billion ($1.01 billion) and A$2 billion a year. Winemakers in South Africa have seen demand boom, while barley exports from France, Canada, Argentina and Ukraine to China also surged.

☆ U.S., UK, EU among countries calling for Taliban to reverse ban on women aid workers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Foreign ministers of 12 countries and the EU, including the United States and Britain, urged Afghanistan's Taliban-led government on Wednesday to reverse its decision barring female employees of aid groups. "The Taliban’s reckless and dangerous order barring female employees of national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from the workplace puts at risk millions of Afghans who depend on humanitarian assistance for their survival," said the statement by the foreign ministers of the United States, Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the EU. Reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Caitlin WebberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Thailand hosts Myanmar junta figures in talks, key ASEAN nations skip
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Foreign ministers of Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia and Vietnam's deputy foreign minister joined the talks hosted by Thailand's foreign minister, according to Thai foreign ministry spokeswoman Kanchana Patarachoke. "The consultation was a non-ASEAN meeting but intended to complement ASEAN’s ongoing collective efforts to find a peaceful political resolution," Kanchana said in a statement. Myanmar Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin attended along with Kan Zaw, minister for investment and foreign economic relations, and Ko Ko Hlaing, minister for international cooperation, Myanmar's foreign ministry said in a statement. The Philippines said its foreign minister would also not join, without elaborating. "Any meeting convened under ASEAN, formal or informal, should not divert from this decision," it said, according to the source.

☆ U.S., partners condemn Taliban decision to ban women from universities -statement
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, Dec 21 (Reuters) - The United States, the European Union and 11 foreign ministers condemned the Taliban's decision to ban women from universities in Afghanistan, according to a joint statement issued on Wednesday. Foreign ministers for Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom joined Washington and the EU in condemning the Taliban's decision, announced on Tuesday evening in a letter to universities from the higher education ministry. "The Taliban’s oppressive measures against Afghan girls and women have been relentless and systemic," according to the statement, issued by the U.S. State Department. Reporting By Paul Grant; Editing by Caitlin WebberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

DUBAI, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Iran's foreign minister said on Wednesday he spoke with his Saudi counterpart on the sidelines of a conference in Jordan the previous day, the highest-level encounter reported between officials from the rival states since they cut ties in 2016. The Middle East's leading Shi'ite and Sunni Muslim powers, Saudi Arabia and Iran have been on opposing sides of conflicts across the region including in Syria and Yemen. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, tweeting in Arabic, on Wednesday listed his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, as one of several foreign ministers with whom he had the chance to hold "friendly talks" on the sidelines of the Jordan conference. "My Saudi counterpart assured me of his country's willingness to continue the dialogue with Iran," Amirabdollahian wrote. The Saudi foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

☆ Putin lands in Belarus for talks amid fears of new assault on Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Tom Balmforth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] Russian President Vladimir Putin walks after disembarking from a plane upon his arrival at the National Airport Minsk in Minsk, Belarus December 19, 2022. Russian forces used Belarus as a launch pad for their abortive attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in February, and there has been Russian and Belarusian military activity there for months. Adding to the ominous mood music, Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei, one of the few officials in Lukashenko's government with any rapport with the West, died suddenly last month. His successor, Sergei Aleinik, met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday. The talks are seen by the Belarus opposition as a vehicle for a creeping Russian annexation.

☆ Iran carries out second known execution over protests
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Iran on Monday executed a second known prisoner detained and convicted amid nationwide protests challenging the country’s theocracy, airing footage on state television it claimed shows him stabbing two security force members to death and running away. At least 488 people have been killed since the demonstrations began in mid-September, according to Human Rights Activists in Iran, a group that’s been monitoring the protests. Iran’s Interior Ministry said earlier this month that the death toll was 200, including security forces who were killed. A heavily edited state television report aired after Rahnavard’s execution showed clips of him in the courtroom. It executed the first known prisoner detained during demonstrations last Thursday.

☆ EU's Borrell: European Parliament corruption probe is "very worrisome"
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, Dec 12 (Reuters) - A Belgian investigation into alleged corruption at the European Parliament is "very worrisome", European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday after raids and arrests linked to alleged money and gifts from Qatar. The European Parliament said at the weekend it had suspended the powers and duties of one of its vice presidents, Greek socialist Eva Kaili, in light of the Belgian investigation. "Certainly the news is very worrisome," Borrell told reporters as he arrived at a meeting of EU foreign ministers. "We are facing some events, some facts that certainly worries me as a former president of the European Parliament, also." The European Parliament was due to vote this week on a proposal to extend visa-free travel to the EU for Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Ecuador.

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Heavy losses reported among Russian mercenaries in east Ukraine; global leaders to discuss more sanctions on Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends a working session of G7 leaders via video link, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 27, 2022. The United States is prioritising efforts to boost Ukraine's air defences, President Joe Biden told his Ukrainian counterpart on Sunday, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stepped up efforts to secure international assistance over the Russian invasion that is dragging into a 10th month. Heavy fighting in the country's east and south continued unabated, while drone and missile strikes on key power infrastructure, notably in the Black Sea port city of Odesa, kept many Ukrainians in the cold and dark. There are no peace talks and no end in sight to the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War Two, which Moscow describes as a "special military operation" and Ukraine and its allies call an unprovoked act of aggression. While Zelenskyy has held numerous talks with Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan since Russian forces invaded in late February, the accumulation of discussions in just one day is not a regular event.

☆ EU to discuss Russia, Iran sanctions, top up of Ukraine arms fund
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, Dec 12 (Reuters) - European Union foreign ministers will meet on Monday to try to agree on further sanctions on Russia and Iran and an additional 2 billion euros ($2.11 billion) for arms deliveries to Ukraine. However, it remained unclear whether Hungary will block some decisions, resorting to what diplomats have denounced as "blackmail diplomacy" due to a dispute over locked EU funds for Budapest. Foreign ministers will discuss a ninth package of Russia sanctions that is set to place almost 200 more individuals and entities on the EU sanctions list. They are also due to review new sanctions on Iranian people and organisations over human rights abuses in Tehran's crackdown on protesters and the supply of drones to Russia. Before their meeting, ministers will talk with the counterparts from the Eastern Partnership - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine - nations the EU has sought to stabilise in the face of Russia's war in Ukraine.

☆ NATO Membership for Sweden and Finland on Track, Officials Say
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( William Mauldin | Michael R. Gordon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—Finland and Sweden are on track to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in the near future despite friction with Turkey, U.S. and Nordic officials said. The Northern European nations’ foreign ministers met in Washington Thursday with Secretary of State Antony Blinken , and all three voiced optimism that Turkey and Hungary, the final two NATO members that haven’t ratified the new members, would do so soon.

Griner arrived in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi by private plane from Moscow as Bout was flown in on a private plane from Washington. Bout, nicknamed the "merchant of death," embraced a Russian official who greeted him and smiled broadly as he was led away. A joint UAE-Saudi statement said the UAE president and Saudi crown prince led mediation efforts that secured Griner's release. Griner was exchanged for Bout, a onetime Russian weapons dealer who had been convicted in the United States and imprisoned for 10 years. During the prisoner swap, Griner was met on the tarmac in UAE by chief U.S. hostage negotiator Roger Carstens.

"Oh FFS (for fuck's sake)," former Estonian president Toomas Hendrik Ilves said on Twitter, encapsulating the general feeling among many of France's eastern allies. The annoyance among eastern allies has undermined Macron's own policy agenda to beef up European "strategic autonomy" separate from the U.S.-led NATO umbrella, with eastern allies now trusting the United States more for their defence. An eastern European diplomat said Macron had "misread" Russia once and the fear was he would do so again. The backbone of Macron's foreign policy since 2017 has been to launch initiatives and go against the grain. However, an increasing number of critics and allies see his thrust on Russia as his major foreign policy mistake.

☆ With eye on China, US to boost military forces in Australia – and ‘invite’ Japan to join in
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The United States will increase the rotational presence of air, land and sea forces in Australia, including bomber aircraft and fighter jets, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Tuesday, amid shared concerns about China. Australia’s Northern Territory is already host to frequent military collaborations with the US. Thousands of US Marines rotate through the territory annually for training and joint exercises, started under former President Barack Obama. Just before last year’s AUSMIN talks, the US, United Kingdom and Australia created a security deal, known as AUKUS, that will provide Australia with the technology to deploy nuclear-powered submarines. The two sides said they had further discussions on that issue and Britain’s Defense Minister Ben Wallace will attend a first in-person meeting of AUKUS ministers on Wednesday in Washington.

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